Arrieta to sign with Phillies

12 March 2018

Philadelphia signed free-agent first baseman Carlos Gomez to boost their lineup.

Unfortunately for Arrieta, a slow free-agent market forced him to accept a lesser deal than he reportedly turned down from the Cubs. It naturally did not happen. The deal is pending a physical, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. Many people will believe this to be quite a massive contract at $25 million per season; however, with the pitching market seemingly dried up, it's a contract that makes sense.

The Cubs are set to play the Phillies at Wrigley Field on June 5-7, so that may be fans' first chance to see Arrieta in his new uniform. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported it was a three-year agreement worth $75 million. The club already surrendered their second-highest pick, plus $500,000 in worldwide signing bonus money, when it signed Carlos Santana to a three-year, $60 million contract in December.

There's always a significant risk investing big money over many years to starting pitchers, especially one like Arrieta who only has two seasons in his career with more than 170 innings pitched. He's made 30 starts in each of the last three seasons and won the National League Cy Young Award in 2015 when he went 22-6 with a 1.77 ERA in 33 starts.

Arrieta will lead a Phillies staff that includes Aaron Nola, who has already been named Phillies' opening day starter. Likewise, the Phillies needed a veteran presence on their starting rotation and they found it at a team-friendly cost as well.

This move is a win-win for both sides as the team's competitiveness just rose significantly and Arrieta finds a home with a bunch of young but talented pieces on the team.